Of Alchemy and Magic
by TruthOfSelf
Summary: During a battle against the homunculi that almost costs Edward his life, he and Roy are sent through the Gate into London, England where they are found barely alive by the Order of the Phoenix. Now it's a battle finding their way back. ***ROY/ED***
1. Chapter 1

**Of Alchemy and Magic**

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**Chapter 1**

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**Hello there!**

**Yes, I started writing another story. No, my other one is not discontinued. I have half of the next chapter for it written, but I'm a bit stuck at the moment. This idea randomly popped into my head one night, and I figured I might as well write it down and see where it takes me. Having completed the first chapter, I thought I could use this story/idea to help better my writing skills. **

**I'm not sure where it's going yet, but I have a vague idea how I want the first two or three chapters.**

**This chapter is roughly 9 pages typed out, and I'm hoping all the other chapters will be as well. That's my goal anyway...**

**So, as you may have noticed, this is a Fullmetal Alchemist/Harry Potter crossover. And yes, it will be Roy/Ed. No there will not be any hot sex scenes, as I have absolutely no confidence in writing such a scene (you'd think i would, being married and all... XD). There will be implications of such things though, and of course, foul language. **

**I hope you enjoy it. I wrote most of it in one sitting.**

**Thanks!**

**[EDIT] I have rewritten part of this chapter, as parts of it just didn't seem enough to me. Chapter 2 is almost complete :)**

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The battle had been raging for over two hours now. Debris from several alchemic reactions scattered the ground as the two figures fought, no more than a few seconds passing between each attack, their bodies twisting and jumping in every direction as they tried to kill each other. If anyone had happened upon them, they would have thought it was a show, except for the pure hatred that emitted from them. Blue flashes of alchemy whizzed like lightening through the air, creating spikes from the ground, which shot through the air toward the nimble shape-shifter and missed. Golden eyes darted toward the new location of his opponent, searching for his next move. Panting heavily, he paused for a brief moment to catch his breath. He was tired. The figure disappeared again, causing him to search frantically for his opponent, barely dodging as a spike was thrown his way.

"Is the chibi alchemist getting tired?" the shape-shifter mocked. "Perhaps I should just kill you now."

"You wish, Envy!" said alchemist, known as Edward Elric, shouted. "You're the one who's going to die!"

He clapped his hands together and slammed them on the ground, spikes shooting out toward Envy. He dodged two, but one slammed through his chest. Blood spurted from his mouth as he fell limp. Edward stopped to catch his breath again, barely noticing when the other started to twitch. His eyes darted up when the sound of laughter reached his ears. Envy lifted his head, blood still dripping from his mouth, and grinned manically at the blond alchemist.

"You think that's enough to kill me?" He laughed again. "You're going to have to do better than that!" He released himself from the spike, without even a flinch, and jumped toward Ed.

Not thinking twice, Ed grabbed a spear he had used earlier off the ground and drove it into Envy's chest.

"How many times am I going to have to kill you before you finally die, homunculus!"

Envy grabbed hold of the spear, breaking it from Edward's hands, shoving the end of through his shoulder. Ed yelped in pain, grabbing his shoulder.

It was clear that neither intended to give up so easily, and so the battle continued. Punches were thrown, alchemy created cages were made to try and catch the other, but neither expected the sudden fireball that unexpectedly caught Envy in its midst. Ed turned quickly, suddenly face to face with Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist.

"Didn't think I would miss all the fun, did you Fullmetal?" Mustang said as he stood in the open doorway, arm stretched out and fingers ready to snap. His uniform was tattered, showing several wounds from the fight that Edward was sure was continuing elsewhere. Blood dripped from his arm from a large gash, along with several other deep wounds along his torso. While he wore his usual sarcastic smirk, it wasn't hard to see the pain and exhaustion etched into his eyes.

"Dammit Roy! I told you not to come!" Ed shouted. "This is MY fight!"

"Where's Alphonse?" Roy questioned, ignoring Edward's glare.

"I told Rose to look after him. His body was too weak."

Manic laughter reached their ears, ending their short conversation. "Looks like the pipsqueak called his friends to help him." Envy jeered menacingly.

"I'M NOT SHORT!" Ed shouted angrily, clapping his hands and running at the homunculus, not noticing the spear he held.

"Ed! Look out!" Roy shouted as Ed unknowingly threw himself into a trap.

Envy thrust the spear aiming for Edward's torso, but barely missed, grazing his side, just as Ed stabbed him in the head with his automail arm. Panting heavily, Edward watched as Envy's body twitched slightly before reconstructing itself. Clapping and slamming his hands to the ground, he made another spear, making sure this one had a sturdier blade. The now reconstructed homunculi sat up, his neck cracking slightly, laughing.

"That wasn't very nice of you, o-chibi-chan." He prepared to spring. "It's a good thing I can't die, otherwise that would've killed me.

Growling, Edward made the first move, using the end of his spear as a sword, attacking the homunculus from as many angles as he could reach. "Some help would be nice, Mustang!" He yelled toward the other man as he dodged a blow to the face.

"I thought you didn't want my help!" Roy shouted back, looking for an opening.

"Just do it, you bastard!"

More debris fell around the two fighters as Ed made stone walls to deflect his opponent, each one breaking just as quickly as it was made. Another spike flew at the homunculus, grazing his face before crashing into the wall behind him. Seeing his opportunity, Roy snapped quickly just as Ed created another wall to block off Envy, successfully scorching him. The shriek he emitted lasted only a moment before he was laughing again, breaking through the stone wall and charging at the blonde alchemist, landing in a punch that sent him flying before hitting a wall. Grinning, Envy yanked Edward up by his hair.

"Survival of the fittest, o-chibi-chan." He sneered.

Edward grinned evilly as he kicked Envy in the face, causing him to stumble away. "You may be stronger than me," he spat the blood from his mouth, "but I know something you don't." Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a small cloth bag, dangling it in front of him, causing the shape shifter to growl slightly. "You know what this is, don't you? A piece of your previous life. All I have to do is trap you, transmute this, and you're finished." He glanced at Roy briefly, conveying the message to snap at the next opening. Understanding, Roy started to move closer in order to get a better shot, going unnoticed.

Envy growled and charged, causing Ed to drop the bag in order to defend himself. Envy was faster, grabbing the forgotten spear just as Ed clapped his hands and thrust it through his torso. A look of surprise was on Edward's face as he dropped to the ground, coughing up crimson blood.

"EDWARD!" Roy sprinted toward them, fingers at the ready as Envy removed the spear from the blonde and prepared to finish him off. He snapped, engulfing the green-haired creature in flames, sending him writhing to the ground. He grabbed the bag that Ed had dropped, knowing that while it was close to the homunculus, he wouldn't be able to regenerate as quickly. Kneeling to the ground and pulling Ed up into a sitting position, he placed a hand over the wound in his middle to try and slow the bleeding. Ripping the sleeve from his uniform, he used it to tie around him. "That will have to do until we can get out of here." He said quickly. "I'm not very good at medical alchemy, I don't want to make it worse."

Ed moved himself to sit on his knees, clutching his middle tightly as blood soaked through the makeshift bandage. "I have to finish this." He ground out. "Finish this bastard off for good." He drew a complicated transmutation circle using his blood and grabbed the bag from Roy and placing it inside.

"What are you-" Ed clapped his hands and pressed them on the circle, quickly activated and surrounded them all in a white light. Shielding his eyes, Roy blinked when they were suddenly in front of a very large black door. Only he and Edward were there, Envy being nowhere in sight, but the small blond was now unconscious and barely breathing. The black door, which Roy assumed was the Gate, suddenly creaked open, revealing hundreds of eerie purple eyes. No sound emitted from the chasm, but just as quickly as the door had opened, wavy black arms erupted from inside, pulling the two alchemists inside. Eyes widening, Roy instinctively grabbed the younger alchemist close to him as they were both hurled through the gate.

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London, England; One of the many large and successful cities in Europe, with a fascinating and bloody history to go with it. With tales going as far back as the early Celts and Romans, fairy tales of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table and sorcerer Merlin, it was no wonder the historic city had its fair share of people who gathered in the local pubs at night telling mad tales of magic, plagues, and adventure. Today, you would probably never know the city was once in control of the great Holy Roman Empire, the only remaining indicator being a piece of the great Roman wall that once surrounded the city.

With its religious battles, known as the Crusades, and its corrupt kings, England's history was indeed interesting. Its Renaissance, and slightly Gothic, architecture, dating back to the great fires of London in the 1600s, which destroyed most of the city, it was no wonder whispers of magic and sorcery were among the great tales. For the people had indeed blamed the fires on the Catholics and the so-called "witches" of London. Several public executions of Catholics, witch hunts and burnings started shortly after, though few actual witches or wizards were ever caught. Once science started delving further into the secrets of the world, magic was forgotten, and the burnings ended. Magic simply became a legend, told to scare children at night. Real witches and wizards went into hiding, preferring to keep their world hidden from others, and thus, created their own world of sorts. A city within a city, so to speak. The common city folk, muggles, as the wizard community now called them, had no idea this world existed within their very walls. Only those select few who had married into such families knew of its existence, and were of course sworn to secrecy.

And so, the wizarding world was kept, for the most part, peaceful. A few wizards got carried away, wanting to show off their skills, and briefly exposed the wizarding world. These events were swiftly taken care of, however, and peace was once again restored. That is, until the dark wizard Voldemort appeared. His killing spree lasted roughly two years before he was "destroyed". All was quiet again for the next fourteen years, though new events last year had clearly shown otherwise, with his return from death. The muggle world was kept in the dark. A small organized group of wizards, the Order of the Pheonix, as they were called, once again banded together to helped to keep these dealings quiet. They did of course operate without the Ministry of Magic's knowledge, but they organized to help defeat Voldemort once and for all.

On a quiet early Fall evening during a routine search of the area just outside of London, a few members of the Order were making their last rounds before heading back to headquarters when a bright light filled the sky. Shielding their eyes briefly, they caught sight of strange symbols weaving into a circle. Only one of the group, Albus Dumbledore, recognized the symbols as Alchemy. Erecting a barrier between them and the alchemic circle, he held out his hand to block the others with him from getting closer.

"Everyone! Stand back!" he cried.

The light quickly vanished as two figures fell from the sky, landing on the ground with a loud thud.

Roy Mustang felt himself hurl toward the ground, and steadied himself for impact, holding the blond close so as to break his fall. Closing his eyes tightly, he felt the impact, along with a cracking sound in his arm. Suddenly feeling very weak and nauseous, he didn't even bother trying to stand. Instead, he looked weakly at his surroundings. They were in a large field, surrounded on one side by a dark forest and what looked to be a city on the other. Looking for anyone in the area to help them, he noticed a group of individuals not far from where he and Edward lay, mouths wide open in shock and fear. Opening his mouth to speak, Roy felt his voice crack in a desperate attempt to get help.

"Please…" he cried desperately as he tried to stand. His eyesight was getting blurry as he felt his consciousness slipping. Falling over, he managed to get out "Please help him…" before everything went dark around him.

Shocked and unable to move, the group of wizards stared at the two newcomers as one of them cried for help before falling unconscious. Dumbledore was the first to react, walking swiftly toward them.

"Alastor, Remus, come give me a hand." Dumbledore requested. "Tonks, quickly prepare the portkey back to Grimmauld Place!"

The young witch, called Tonks, barely nodded before quickly setting to work on finding something suitable to return them to headquarters. The other two, a middle-aged, sickly looking wizard, Remus, ran after Dumbledore and immediately went to the younger of the two figures. The last, an older wizard with a magical eye and a chunk out of his nose, stared suspiciously at them.

"Should we be helping these two? We don't know if they're working for Voldemort. It could be a trap." He stated in a grizzled voice.

"Alastor, these men are gravely injured. Whether they are one of ours or not makes no difference." Dumbledore replied calmly as he checked over the older alchemist. "He has several deep wounds and a broken arm, but I'm sure he'll be fine once we patch him up. What about his companion, Remus?"

"I won't know the extent of his injuries until we get him back to headquarters, but he needs attention quick." Remus replied as he carefully lifted the boy onto his back to carry him. "We need to hurry, or he might die."

Dumbledore nodded as Tonks ran up with a medium sized stick. "That will do nicely. Let us hurry." He steadied the man with one arm around his shoulders, taking care not to damage the broken limb further as he put a finger onto the portkey. The others followed suit, and with a crack, they were gone.

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Dinner was an extravagant affair that evening. Harry Potter, who had just been cleared of all charges of underage magic against him during his hearing at the Ministry, could finally relax and enjoy the company of his friends and godfather. Though the kitchen hadn't been used in over a decade, Mrs. Weasley had no problems cooking up a feast for the occasion. Stuffed Cornish hens were roasted with potatoes and carrots, served with steaming mashed potatoes and gravy, along with a wonderful side of bread pudding. There were also freshly baked rolls and a large salad on the table, which was quickly devoured by those at the table. The owner of the home, Sirius Black, had done his best to tidy up the home for the Order, saying this was the least he could do for them, as he was still a fugitive and couldn't help hunt down the Death Eaters. The house still needed quite a bit of work, but for now, it was a safe haven for those of the Order. Those at the table included his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Weasley twins Fred and George, his godfather Sirius, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Several conversations were going on at once, the room filling with laughter and the sound of clanking silverware.

Harry was just laughing at a joke told by the Weasley twins when the front door suddenly opened with a bang and loud voices were heard.

"What's going on?" Harry's friend Ron wondered aloud as he chewed on a roll.

Tonks' head poked through the kitchen door. "Molly, we need some assistance, quick!"

Everyone rushed from the table into the entrance hall to see Remus and Dumbledore supporting two heavily wounded figures. Gasps were heard from the group as Dumbledore turned to Mrs. Weasley.

"Molly, is there a room we could put these two in?" Dumbledore asked. "These two need medical attention immediately."

"Y-yes! Of course!" She rushed up the stairs and opened the first door where two medium sized beds were made. Standing out of the way as Remus and Dumbledore placed the two men on the beds, she stuttered, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Please get us as many bandages as you can and some hot water." Remus called out as he started taking off the blonde's jacket and shirt. Mrs. Weasley hurried to fetch the items. "Good Lord!" Dumbledore!" Remus' eyes were glued to what appeared to be a metal arm on the blonde, which ran all the way up to his shoulder.

"A metal arm?" Dumbledore studied it for a second before looking at his many wounds. "His arm is something we can ask later, he looks to have been stabbed. You have to stop the bleeding." He ordered. The boy was breathing heavily, indicating he had a fever. Remus worked quick to clean up the blood around the wound, making sure to check for any other serious injuries.

"How is the other?" Remus asked as he worked.

"He has a few deep gashes, and his right arm appears to be broken. Once I mend the bones he should be fine." Dumbledore replied.

Mrs. Weasley returned quickly and set the bandages and water on the table in between the two beds. "What happened?!"

"We don't know." Alastor replied stiffly. "They suddenly appeared from the sky as we were making our final rounds."

"But this one looks so young!" she exclaimed, eyes on the blonde. "He could be Ron's age!"

"Molly," Remus turned toward her, "could you give me a hand?"

With Mrs. Weasley's help, Remus quickly closed the wounds on the blonde and bandaged him up tight, so they wouldn't reopen. Taking off the rest of his outer clothing, they placed him under the blankets and placed a cool wet cloth on his forehead. Dumbledore had finished taking care of the darker haired man and quickly conjured a sling for his arm.

"We'll need to keep an eye on the younger one." Remus remarked to Dumbledore. "He's running a high fever."

Dumbledore nodded. "Molly, I entrust their care to you. We have done all we can." Mrs. Weasley nodded. "I would like the rest of the household to please gather into the kitchen. Including Harry and the others."

As the rest of them filed out of the room, Mrs. Weasley conjured a chair beside the blonde's bedside and placed a fresh cloth on his forehead, making sure to keep it at a steady cool temperature, all the while wondering what on earth these two had been through to put them in such conditions.

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With everyone gathered at the table, Dumbledore turned to look at each person in turn. Their eyes held many questions, which hopefully would be answered.

"Before I explain about our new guests, I would like to apologize for interrupting your supper." Dumbledore said. "I know everyone here has questions, heaven knows I do, as we are not entirely sure of the situation ourselves."

"What happened out there? Surely not a Death Eater attack?" A red-headed, slightly balding man asked.

"No, Arthur. No Death Eaters were seen tonight. These two seemed to fall out of the sky. Though, I'm certain my companions tonight have no idea what the strange 'magic' was that brought them here, I have a feeling it was a form of alchemy."

A young girl raised her hand tentatively. "Yes, Miss Granger."

"What do you mean by alchemy? Isn't it supposed to be a dead art?"

"Not entirely, it would seem. However, this form of alchemy is the likes of which I have never seen before." Dumbledore paused to see if there were any more questions before he continued. "Arthur," he turned to the red-headed man again, "I have asked your wife to tend to our guests. They are gravely injured, and will most likely need 24/7 care for the time being. I hope you do not mind."

"Not at all. If it helps, I'm sure we can all take turns tending to them." Mr. Weasley said.

"I thank you, Arthur." Dumbledore nodded. "That is probably for the best. However, if one of them should awaken, please inform me straight away. I'm sure they will have many questions, but we should take care not to startle them. From their appearance, it appears they were in some sort of battle, and will most likely think they are going to be attacked. Now, I think I have taken up quite enough of your time, so I shall take my leave."

Hermione stood. "I'm going to see if Mrs. Weasley needs any help." Leaving the kitchen she walked quickly up the stairs.

"Well," Mr. Weasley said calmly, "I think it best we all went to bed. It's getting late. Off you go!"

There were several groans from the teens in the room as they slowly got up from the table.

"Looks like we're going to have our hands full for a while, eh Harry?" Ron whispered as they walked up the stairs to their room. "What do you reckon happened to them?"

"I dunno." Harry shrugged. "It might be as Dumbledore said, that they were in a battle."

"Don't think there are any battles going on around here though. Not that we've heard anyway." Ron said. "Though, since mum caught Fred and George with those extendable ears last week we haven't been able to hear much of anything, have we?"

"No, I suppose not." Harry agreed. "We better get to bed. You know how your mom is when it's light's out."

Turning out the lights, they climbed into bed, but Harry couldn't sleep.

--

Mrs. Weasley placed another cool rag over the blonde's head. His fever had yet to go down, and seemed to steadily be getting worse. Sighing, she conjured some fresh cold water in the basin. Hearing a small knock on the door, she quickly walked over and opened it. "Hermione! Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I…well, I wanted to see if you needed anything." Hermione said quickly, trying to catch a glimpse of the two strangers.

"I'm fine dear. I'll end up being with these two all night. The dark haired one seems to be okay, just exhausted. But the younger one…I'll need to keep watch over him all night. He's got a nasty fever." A worried look crossed her features briefly. "You should head to bed."

Hermione nodded and left the room quietly. Mrs. Weasley sighed as she walked back to her chair by the blonde's bed. Ringing out the rag in the basin of cold water, she placed it back on his head. His breathing was slightly ragged, and his metal hand occasionally gripped at the blanket, but that was the only movement. Mrs. Weasley patted the boy's head softly before settling back in her chair, preparing for the long night ahead.

-- --

Roy groaned as he tried to wake, still feeling slightly lightheaded from passing through the Gate. Opening his eyes, he noticed he was in a slightly dark room, silently thanking whoever it was that closed the blinds. Rising slowly, he took a look around. There was one dresser, one window, and a small table between the two beds. Looking over at the second bed, he saw Edward, and instantly shot out of bed, ignoring the pain that shot through his body, and rushed to check on the blonde, barely taking notice of the sleeping woman in the chair next to the bed. Placing a hand on his head, he felt the clammy skin, indicating fever. He noticed he was heavily bandaged, but at least he was alive.

Slumping to the floor, he sighed. "Thank God." He whispered, holding his hand carefully. "Thank God you're alive."

Mrs. Weasley woke groggily. "Must've fallen asleep." She muttered. Raising her head to check on the two men, she was slightly startled to see the older, dark-haired one up and out of bed and looking at the younger one with a gentle look in his eyes. "You're awake!" Roy looked up, startled. "You shouldn't be out of bed yet!"

Mrs. Weasley went to go and help him back into bed when the man stopped her. "I'm fine." He said. "I'm more worried about Ed than I am about myself."

Nodding slowly, Mrs. Weasley took the rag from Edward's head and doused it with more cold water, ringing it out before replacing it on his head. "You don't have to do that. I can take over for you." Roy said, looking at her with a small smile. "You look like you could use a rest."

"B-but I was left in charge of taking care of him. It's no trouble." She stuttered.

"I insist." Roy stated firmly. "He's important to me. Go get yourself something to eat. I'll be fine." Mrs. Weasley nodded and quickly left the room, closing the door carefully on her way out. The blonde suddenly groaned, his eyes trying to open from sleep. Roy was at his side in an instant, grabbing his hand once again. "Edward!"

The blonde turned his head slowly and opened his eyes, which were still slightly hazy from the fever. "Roy…" he rasped out.

Roy touched his hand to his head gently. "Don't you ever do that to me again."

Edward tried to laugh, but it came out more like a wheeze. "It'll take…more than that…to kill me…you bastard." Roy chuckled. Even when seriously injured, the blonde tried to insult him. "Where…are we?"

"Never mind that." Roy said calmly. "We can worry about that later. Go back to sleep." Nodding, Ed closed his eyes and fell asleep once again. Sighing, Roy took the cloth from his head and ran it through the cold water, wiping the sweat from the blonde's face before replacing it on his head. Taking the seat that Mrs. Weasley had previously vacated, he began his vigil over the small alchemist. Still aching from the fall they took last night, he fought the sleep that begged to take him over, wanting to make sure that Ed was taken care of.

The fever that plagued Ed started to dissipate after about two hours, making Roy sigh with relief. For the first hour after he had woken, his fever had gotten worse. The teen's face had been flushed with bright red and a cold sweat had started, causing him to shiver, but it seemed as if it was finally starting to ebb away. Mrs. Weasley returned, opening the door softly, just as Roy was placing a new cool cloth to Ed's forehead. Roy glanced up at her, acknowledging her presence as she set a clean pair of pajamas on the table.

"How is he?" she asked.

"His fever has finally gone down considerably." He replied, his dark eyes never leaving the blonde's face. "I would wager when he wakes he will want something to eat." A small smile appeared on his face.

"That's wonderful!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "I've just started making some stew for dinner. When he wakes, I shall bring up some for you both."

"Thank you for your kindness." Roy said, nodding his head in thanks. "I still have not caught your name."

She was about to respond when a soft groan was heard from the bed, and the blonde slowly opened his eyes. He noticed Roy looking at him with relief, and a woman he didn't recognize, who suddenly had a bright smile on her face.

Mrs. Weasley quickly turned her attention to him. "Oh dear! You're awake! I didn't think you would last the night!" Edward tried to grin at the woman. "Can I do anything to make you more comfortable? Maybe something to eat?" she fussed, her mothering instincts getting the better of her.

"Could you help me sit up?" he asked, his voice sounding slightly scratchy.

"I don't think you should be doing that much yet. You're still a bit feverish, and you had some horrible injuries." She looked at him worriedly.

"I'll be fine." He said, his voice sounding a bit better.

"If you insist." Mrs. Weasley carefully lifted him into a sitting position and placed the pillow behind him so he would be comfortable. "How's that, dear?"

"Thank you…uhh…"

"Molly Weasley." She replied, smiling. "I'll be back in a jiffy. I'll bring you a nice warm bowl of stew. I should let everyone know you're awake." Taking one last look at him to make sure he wasn't going to fall over, she rushed out the door, leaving the two alchemists alone.

Roy looked Edward over carefully. "You really should be lying down, you know. You had a pretty high fever for someone so small." He grinned.

Edward glared at him, not having the energy to yell. "I'm not short, you bastard."

Chuckling, Roy reached over and hugged him tightly, being careful of the bandages. "When I saw Envy stab you, I thought for sure I had lost you."

Edward smiled softly, wrapping his automail arm around the older man. "I told you, it would take more than this to kill me." He was about to pull away, when Roy's grip became tighter. "I'm not going anywhere, Roy. I'm right here." He said softly.

A cough was heard from the door, signaling Mrs. Weasley had returned. With her was Remus, Mr. Weasley, and Dumbledore. Both men looked over as the door opened. Roy stood up carefully and stood next to Edward's bed.

"Good evening!" Dumbledore said. "I'm surprised to see you both awake. You gave us quite a start last night. I see some introductions are in order. My name is Albus Dumbledore, this here," he indicated to the red-headed man, "is Arthur Weasley, and," indicating the other man, "Remus Lupin. You have already met Molly, of course."

"Colonel Roy Mustang."

"Edward Elric."

"Excellent. Now that introductions have been made, how about we tell you how we found you, and maybe you can help us understand how you arrived here." Dumbledore said.

"Would you like us to start first? Or would you like to?" Roy asked carefully.

Things were about to get complicated, he could tell.

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**And so ends the first chapter.**

**Thoughts? Ideas?**

**Chapter 2 coming shortly  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again. Sorry this took long than expected. I actually had half of this written when I posted the first chapter, but shortly afterward, my computer crashed. I spent 3 days trying to fix it, reinstalled windows xp twice, and then the drivers weren't working. I took it in to get looked at, but it was going to be way too expensive to fix it. So, I spent all the money I had earned from my job I had here to buy a new laptop. *dies* I was hoping to save that money for quite some time, but I also really needed a laptop. My husband has one, but I don't like using it much, and usually when he's home from work, he wants to use it. **

**I do like my new one though. It's nice. And I find that I also like Windows 7 better than XP.**

**So yea, I had to rewrite the entire chapter....all 10 pages of it. But, I've done all I can on it for now, and unless I choose to edit parts of it later, chapter 2 is done, and chapter 3 is in the planning stages.**

**Updates on ALL stories that I am writing are going to be slow for a while. We are moving in roughly 35 days, and we have A LOT to do, and very little time to do it in.**

**I would like to thank those who reviewed, and enjoy it so far. And to answer a few questions, Yes, Roy and Ed are already in a relationship. A few things will be explained either in chapter 3 or 4, depending on how far i get. Also, a thanks for the one who corrected one of my spelling errors. Word had spelled it incorrectly, but it didn't appear with a red line under it, so when I edited, I didn't notice. I will be more aware from now on. For those who don't care for the pairing, it's really my decision, and you don't have to read it. There won't be anything explicit because, like i said before, I have no confidence in doing so (even though i'm married...haha!). Foul language is present, as it just wouldn't be complete without it. **

**I think that's it.  
**

**As a reminder, I do now own anything, just this story.**

**Enjoy.  
**

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**Of Alchemy and Magic**

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**Chapter 2**

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"Excellent. Now that introductions have been made, how about we tell you how we found you, and maybe you can help us understand how you arrived here." Dumbledore said.

"Would you like us to start first? Or would you like to?" Roy asked carefully.

Things were about to get complicated, he could tell.

"How about we answer your questions first." Dumbledore suggested. "Though, may I suggest you have something to eat first? Molly has made this wonderful stew that I'm sure shouldn't go to waste.

"Uhh, sure, I guess." Roy scratched his head. He looked down at Edward briefly to confirm. His eyes betrayed nothing, so he figured it was an okay. "Where to start…first, where are we exactly?" Mrs. Weasley handed them both a bowl of steaming soup. "Thank you."

"Of course."

"You are in London, England." Dumbledore replied. "Actually, if you want to know exactly where you are, you are in a house in Grimmauld Place, located in one of the suburbs of London."

Roy paused for a moment. _'I don't recall any place called London in Amestris…unless…'_

"SHIT! THAT SON OF A- ugh…" Edward started yelling, almost spilling his soup, before clutching his head.

"What?" Roy looked down at the blond, before sitting down again.

"That bastard of a Gate…" Ed glared slightly. "It sent us to the other side. Stupid, fucking bastard…"

"Gate?" Remus asked.

"Nevermind." Edward answered. "So, we're in a place called London. What else should we know?"

"Well," Dumbledore sat in the other vacant seat in the room, "what would you say if I told you we were wizards?"

Roy grimaced as Edward scoffed. "Bullshit, old man. Magic doesn't exist."

"On the contrary, Mr. Elric, it does." Dumbledore replied calmly.

"I'm going to have to agree with Edward." Roy stated. "There is simply no way magic exists."

"Would it help if we prove it to you?"

"Unlikely, but go ahead." Edward leaned against the pillow behind him, eating a spoonful of stew. "This is good, thank you." He said to Mrs. Weasley.

"I'm glad you like it, dear." She smiled. "There's plenty more if you're still hungry."

Nodding to himself, Dumbledore stood up and pulled out what appeared to be a stick to the two alchemists. Pointing it at the second bed, he waved it once, turning it into a sheep, pausing for a moment before turning it back into a bed. "Is that acceptable?" he asked, smiling slightly at their shocked faces. "I could levitate you both, but with you having been recently severely injured, it wouldn't be the wisest choice."

Edward stared open mouthed at the bed that had been turned into a sheep. "How…" he stared, eyes widening. "Where's the equivalence…? It's not possible…"

"I assure you, it is indeed possible. I could just as easily turn the water in that basin next to you into your favorite beverage."

"But, nothing was given up." Edward's eyes were hidden. "All we fought for, everything Al suffered, all those lives that were lost…"

Roy put a comforting hand on Edward's back. "I'm sorry, sir. Where we come from, magic is simply a fairy tale told to children. Ed has led a fairly rough life." He explained carefully.

"Would you tell us your story?" Remus asked uncertainly. "Perhaps we could help you."

"What do you think, Ed?" Roy looked at the blond, who seemed to have a slightly far off look, his soup forgotten. "Should we tell them everything? Including what we know of the homunculi?"

"Equivalent Exchange, Mustang." Ed replied shortly, raising his eyes to meet Roy's. "They saved us, and showed us proof that _magic,_" he spat the word bitterly, "does indeed exist."

Roy sighed. "Where do we start then?"

"How about with how I got my arm and leg? I'm sure they're curious."

"Indeed we are." Dumbledore sat down once again. "This kind of thing is something we've never seen or heard of before."

Edward nodded. "Then what I am about to tell you must never leave this room. Not many people are fortunate enough to know this much about me. Do I have your word that you will not tell anyone else?" Everyone in the room nodded. "Good."

Mrs. Weasley conjured up three more chairs, two for herself and her husband, and one for Remus, who was slightly intrigued.

"First," Ed began, "what do you know of Alchemy?"

"Not much." Remus confessed. "It's a dead art that turned metal into gold, correct?"

"That is where you are wrong. We're from a country called Amestris, which is located on the other side of the Gate. A parallel world, so to speak. Where we come from, Alchemy is a science, and creating gold is illegal." Ed told them seriously. "Now let me ask you another question. What do you know of the Philosopher's Stone?" Ed's face was serious, not a trace of humor found, as nervous glances were cast about the room.

"The Philosopher's Stone was created several years ago by Nicolas Flamel and created the Elixir of Life." Dumbledore said gravely. "It was destroyed four years ago."

Ed's face darkened considerably. "The Philosopher's Stone isn't something you can simply destroy. It is the purest of all substances. If it was indeed destroyed, as you claim, it must not have been a complete stone."

"What do you mean?" Dumbledore asked.

"I'll get to that." Ed held up his hand. "It ties into how this," he indicated his arm and leg, "happened." He gulped down the last of the stew. "Alchemy, being a science, has many rules and laws, one of these being the conservation of mass. The two biggest rules are, Thou shalt not create gold, and thou shalt not interfere with the circle of life. These two things are illegal, and punishment could include death. The first thing you learn when studying alchemy is this: Human kind cannot gain anything without giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. This is alchemy's law of Equivalent Exchange. My brother Al and I hold this as our greatest value in life. Equivalency."

The looks of confusion were apparent. "Say you were to tell me to transmute water, to give an easy example." Roy stated. "What would you be able to create? What are the properties of water?"

Remus and Dumbledore seemed to be the first to understand.

"You would only be able to create ice, and vapor, correct?" Remus answered.

"Correct." Edward replied. "However, this also depends on how much water you have. You have to follow conservation of mass. Therefore, I can't create a ten food ice sculpture with only one cup of water."

"So…how did you…um…lose your limbs?" Mr. Weasley asked uncertainly.

Ed's face turned grave. "My brother and I made a mistake. We broke the biggest taboo in alchemy. It cost me my arm and leg, and Al lost his whole body. We tried to bring our mother back to life." A collective gasp was heard throughout the room. "There is nothing equal to a human life. My brother and I paid the price. Our friend Winry and her grandmother run an automail shop. It's what these are." He lifted his arm. "Prosthetic limbs that attach directly to the nerves."

"That must have been painful." Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "To think someone as young as you having to go through such an ordeal…"

"I'm simply paying for my mistake. The pain of getting these was nothing compared to what my brother had to go through. He spent four years as a soul attached to a suit of armor while I became a State Alchemist to try and find a way to get his body back."

"Did you succeed?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes. But at a heavy price." Ed looked at Roy briefly, who nodded. "There was a conspiracy in the military. There were seven homunculi, each being named after the seven sins, Greed, Lust, Gluttony, Wrath, Pride, Sloth, and Envy, who were after the Philosopher's Stone. They are immortal beings, created from failed human transmutations. The Fuhrer was one of them. The Philosopher's Stone allows you to bypass all the laws of alchemy. We searched for it, and we found it."

"So you used the Philosopher's Stone to bring back your brother's body." Dumbledore mused. "Interesting."

"Yes. But like I said, it came at a heavy price. The Philosopher's Stone is created by using thousands of human lives." Ed stated coldly, watching as horror struck the faces in the room. "We did not kill anyone to create the stone." He assured them. "It had been created already using the lives of an entire city. In a weird twist of fate, Al was turned into the stone itself, and we used it to get his body back. Now, how we got here, I'm not very sure. I remember fighting the homunculus Envy, and I remember him stabbing me through with a spear, and vaguely remember using a transmutation to destroy him. But that's it. Next I know, I'm here in this room."

"I don't have much to add." Roy said after a short uncomfortable silence filled the room. "I think Ed summed it up. We would very much like to find a way back, if possible. Our country was in a bit of a chaos when we left, and I'm sure Ed would like to get back to his brother. Is there any way you would be able to help us?"

The other occupants of the room looked at each other for a few moments, silently communicating it seemed, before looking back at the two alchemists. Dumbledore was the first to speak.

"There just might be a way to return you to your home." He said with a smile. "It might take a while, but if you are willing, you may come to our magic school, Hogwarts, and use the library and any other resources you can find."

"The library really is impressive." Remus added. "You may even learn a few things about magic that could be useful in your search."

Molly nodded excitedly. "You could stay here until term starts. We have plenty of room, and it would be no trouble."

Ed and Roy smiled. "We thank you for your hospitality. Being in an unfamiliar place on our own might not be a wise choice."

"Though, we can't stay here for nothing. And we certainly can't just go through your school's library without doing something in return." Ed said thoughtfully. "Equivalent exchange, after all."

There as a brief pause as the wizards thought. Mrs. Weasley was the first to say something. "We still haven't finished cleaning this place yet, as it hasn't been inhabited in quite some time." She said with a smile. "You could help around the house; cleaning, helping with the cooking, those types of things. In return, you get free room and board and three meals a day."

"That sounds good." Ed nodded. "I wouldn't trust me with cooking, though. I haven't cooked for myself in many years, seeing as how Al and I never stayed in one place for very long. Roy is an excellent cook though." He pointed at Roy, who just waved him off.

"I'm not _that_ good of a cook." He denied. "You're exaggerating."

"What about that alfredo you made for me a week ago?" Ed pointed out. "That was fantastic. I don't even like alfredo."

"Well, I guess you have a point…"

"Excellent." Dumbledore clapped. "As for the school, how about becoming teachers? You could teach our students alchemy, while having the library at your fingertips. You would also have access to the other lessons being taught, should you choose to venture into them. We may have forgotten to mention it, but currently the wizarding society is in the middle of a war of sorts. A dark wizard has returned, and is after one our students. I have no doubt that alchemy would benefit our students greatly, should they ever be without a wand."

The two alchemists glanced at each other with thoughtful glances before turning back to Dumbledore. "Let us think on it for a day or two." Roy said after a moment, a thoughtful look gracing his features. "Alchemy is not to be taken lightly, and if we do agree to teach, the lessons would be grueling and punishments for not following our rules would be severe."

"I understand." Dumbledore nodded. "Well, we're about to have a meeting with the Order down in the kitchen. You are more than welcome to be a part of it if you wish. It might help you gain some more understanding of the magical world." He turned to Remus. "Do you remember what we were supposed to be discussing tonight? My memory seems to have flown away temporarily" he said airily.

"Er…I believe we were going to discuss Edward and Mr. Mustang, and of course the latest raids going on." Remus replied casually.

Ed and Roy looked at each other. "Seems like we're top news, bastard." Ed grinned.

"It appears so, shorty." Roy grinned as Ed glared.

Mr. Weasley coughed, getting their attention. "Shall we, gentleman? I'm sure the others have already arrived."

"Of course. Lead the way." Dumbledore turned toward the alchemists. "Molly shall assist you and bring you to the kitchen."

Remus, Mr. Weasley, and Dumbledore all turned out of the room, leaving the two confused alchemists with Mrs. Weasley. They briefly looked at each other, communicating silently with their eyes, obviously coming to a mutual agreement before turning to Mrs. Weasley. "You wouldn't happen to have any spare clothes around that we could use, would you?" Roy asked. "We can't very well go down in what we have on."

"Of course!"She bustled toward the cabinet in the far corner of the room and looked through the drawers and shelves, pulling two button-down shirts and some dark colored slacks and setting them on the second bed. "I hope these work for you. I don't know how well they'll fit, but you're free to use them. I'll wait outside the door, and you can come out when you're done changing."

"Thank you."

Mrs. Weasley nodded before walking out, closing the door softly behind her. "Well, it looks like these are going to be a bit big on you." Roy said as he looked through the laid out clothing. "I can always shrink it down to size."

"Better let me do that, Roy." Ed eased himself out of the bed and walked over. "Remember last time? You ended up with a hole in your pants." He grabbed a white button down dress shirt and a brown vest. "I can probably do something with these. They do look a bit big, but I can just use alchemy to make them smaller." He clapped his hands. Pressing them to the fabric, the familiar blue alchemic light surrounded it for a moment before leaving behind the same shirt and vest and a small pile of left over fabric. Removing the pajama top, he pulled on the new shirt and vest before turning to the selection of pants. He grabbed a fitted pair of pressed brown slacks. These he didn't have to change, as they were the correct size. Pulling them on, he finished by pulling his hair in a ponytail. "Well?"

Roy eyed him carefully. "Not bad." He nodded. "You actually look more mature."

Ed's eye twitched slightly. "You're not calling me short, are you?"

"Course not. Can't take a compliment?" Roy glanced quickly at the shirts before grabbing a white one similar to the one Ed wore. He grabbed the remaining pair of pants, a pair of black pressed slacks, and slipped the clothes on quickly. Placing his previous clothes on the bed, he grabbed his boots, which he noticed were placed at the foot of the bed, along with Ed's.

"Think we should tell them about our relationship?" Ed asked curiously as he waited for Roy to finish.

"I don't see why not. It's not like it's going to affect our teaching should we accept the old man's offer. Besides," he walked up to the blond and kissed him, leaving Ed a little flustered, "I don't want to miss out on any opportunities for doing that."

"You're such a horny bastard." Ed chuckled.

"Yes, but you love me anyway." Roy responded matter-of-factly.

"Let's go." Ed shook his head and grabbed his lover's hand, leading them out of the room.

Mrs. Weasley was talking to Sirius when they exited the room. He appeared to be slightly frazzled, his voice sounding slightly gruff as he talked to the motherly woman in a hushed voice. From what they could gather, someone in the Order had just pissed him off and he wanted to do something about it. Catching sight of them, he ended the conversation and nodded in greeting before heading back down to the kitchen.

"What's his problem?" Ed asked, pointing after the man.

"Oh, nothing." Mrs. Weasley brushed it off. "Him and Professor Snape just don't see eye to eye, and it usually ends up in an argument. Let's head down, shall we? Do the clothes fit okay?"

"Yes, thank you." Roy nodded, acknowledging his thanks as they walked down the stairs. "What can you tell us about this…Order?"

"It's a small group of witches and wizards who are determined to see He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named fall once again. That would be the short way of describing it I suppose." Mrs. Weasley said thoughtfully. "Ah, here we are." Pushing a door open, she led them into a rather large kitchen and dining area with a large wooden table. There were already several people sitting down, and sending curious looks toward the newcomers. Dumbledore, who sat at the head of the table, stood up in greeting and gestured to two empty chairs.

"I see our two guests have arrived." He smiled and introduced them to the rest of the group. "May I introduce Mr. Edward Elric and Mr. Roy Mustang. They are from a small country town in Germany, and have offered us their services here."

The two looked at each other at the mention of their supposed country of origin. "That must be our story we should tell people if they ask." Roy whispered in Ed's ear. "Might help keep the questions away for a while."

Ed nodded in agreement. "Old man certainly knows what he's doing, that's for sure."

When they had taken the two offered seats at the table, the meeting was able to begin. Mostly, Ed and Roy stayed silent, preferring to listen rather than participate, giving them a better idea about the magic of this world. Dumbledore started off with discussing the latest attacks made by the so-called followers of the dark wizard they had heard about, Death Eaters they were called. A few members made suggestions on tracking these wizards, but were instantly put down by a scoff from Edward. The wizard who made the suggestion, Kingsley, raised an eyebrow at the young alchemist.

"You don't think it would work?" He asked mockingly.

Ed leaned back in his chair, hands placed comfortably behind his head. "No. I don't."

Kingsley frowned. "What would a kid know of these matters? You're not even old enough to understand what we're talking about. This is much more complicated magic than you've ever seen."

The anger that showed on Ed's face was a clear indicator he said something wrong, but if he noticed, he didn't say anything, choosing to sit smugly in his chair. "I am by no means a child." Ed glared, restraining himself. "I may not know any of this _magic_, but I can tell you I've probably seen more battlefields and ways of torture than your little group has ever seen. I stopped being a child long ago." He leaned onto the table slightly. "If someone knows what to look for, and knows what they're doing, they can avoid being found if they wish. From what I understand, your magic spells can be traced to a certain extent, leaving traces behind. When you are trying to track someone, you do not leave any traces of what you are using. That would be a sure way of getting yourself killed." Ed grinned smugly at the now frowning wizard.

"You act as if you know nothing of magic." Another spoke.

"We don't." Roy said simply. "We're alchemists."

While most of the room's occupants looked doubtful, Kingsley scoffed. "Alchemy is a dead art. And even if you were, all you can do with it is create gold."

Ed looked over at Roy with a slightly feral grin. "Shall we give them a demonstration?"

"Might make them understand a bit more." Roy agreed. "Keep it simple though."

"Yeah, yeah." Ed stood up and rubbed his mismatched hands together. "You say alchemy is dead, but I beg to differ." Clapping his hands, he placed them on the floor, blue light flashing from the reaction, and created a life-size replica of Alphonse's armor, with a few added details of course. "Where we come from, alchemy is how we live. It's also quite useful in battle. An individual can have a specific specialty as well. Roy here is known as the Flame Alchemist, while I was called the Fullmetal Alchemist." He clapped again and replaced the statue of Al back into the floor.

The ones who had already heard their story nodded their heads in approval, while those who hadn't were still a little skeptical, though impressed as well. Ed sat back down quickly, not liking attention drawn to him for very long. In his mind, he presented his views well, albeit, he could have done better. One person, however, was not yet ready to accept their presence so easily.

"You said your alchemy was useful in battle. Care to give us a demonstration?" asked a man with dark and slightly greasy hair. He had his arms crossed in defiance and wore a large frown on his face.

"While we would love to give a demonstration of our abilities, I doubt now would be an appropriate time." Roy said casually. "I highly doubt the owner of this house wants it turned into charred ruins. Perhaps another time in a more suitable environment, Mr…uh…"

"Snape."

"Right. Alchemy can be highly destructive in battle. It would be better to do so in a much wider and open field."

Dumbledore chuckled, his blue eyes shining. "We wouldn't want to destroy this lovely house. After all, Molly put so much effort into making it presentable for us. Let us move on."

The rest of the meeting went by quickly. Nothing had changed over the last twenty-four hours; there had been no new Death Eater attacks lately, and not even a whisper of their whereabouts were known. Ed and Roy listened intently for a short period, trying to gather a bit of an understanding of the magical world, but soon they were talking quietly to themselves. Nobody paid much mind to them, so they were free to discuss different methods of returning home. They spoke mostly in code, not trusting a few in the room enough to speak openly. To most, it would look like they were having a simple conversation about a restaurant, or possibly books, which is exactly what they wanted them to think. Within an hour, most of the Order members had left, leaving those who stayed at the house and Dumbledore.

"I thank you Molly, for putting up with all this." He said. "I know it's difficult, especially with all the youngsters about and everything else."

Mrs. Weasley waved it off with a smile. "It's really nothing. You needed a secure place to hold meetings, and this is the perfect place."

"Again, I thank you." Just as he was about to leave, Ed walked up to him with a determined look on his face. "Ah, I trust you had no trouble understanding the things we were discussing."

Ed shrugged. "We'll take your offer, old man."

Dumbledore smiled. "Really? That makes my job of convincing you much easier."

"We do have one condition though."

"Oh?"

Roy went to go stand beside Ed. "Edward and I are in a relationship. We want to make sure we are able to have a room together, and also make sure that this won't be a problem."

Mrs. Weasley's eyes went wide. "But he's just a child!"

Ed smiled stiffly at the term 'child'. "I am seventeen, Mrs. Weasley, and Roy is only 26. Where we come from, it is perfectly legal to have this kind of relationship."

Mrs. Weasley was about to respond, but Dumbledore beat her to it. "That will not be an issue. I will be sure to have your room prepared for you. Should there be any problem with it, you may change it as you wish." He turned to Mrs. Weasley. "Molly, you know as well as I do that they are both adults. And besides," he chuckled, as if to silent joke, "there is nothing wrong with being gay. Goodnight."

With that, he was gone. Ed and Roy chuckled slightly at Mrs. Weasley's confused expression, but chose not to comment. They were both silently thinking, however, what they had just gotten themselves into.

* * *

**While I am aware things are still a bit slow, I'm working on it, but I have very little time on my hands to do so. Please read my explanation above for more details.**

**Next chapter hopefully up soon.  
**


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